Social determinants: Changing our view of the patient

In the mid-1980s, Dr. David Buck developed clinics for the indigent population of Houston, Texas where he learned first-hand that his patients needed social and behavioral supports outside of the traditional medical domain. His work led him to join forces with data scientist Kallol Mahata and together they founded Houston's Patient Care Intervention Center (PCIC) to improve care for the city's vulnerable populations. Buck and Mahata developed a technology platform that integrates social data – from jails, shelters, food banks and other community service organizations – with medical data to provide a holistic view of the patient. Always based on the patient's values and health goals, their work to integrate social and behavioral data with care coordination has resulted in a savings of over $5 million and a reduction in ER visits by 54 percent.